§ MR. M'DERMOTT (Kilkenny, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been called to the unanimous resolution of the Urlingford (county Kilkenny) Board of Guardians, to the effect that no rearrangement of the dispensary districts of the union involving the abolition of any one of them could be made that would not inflict great hardships on the sick poor in many districts of the union; and, whether he will have personal investigation made into the matter, with a view to the withdrawal of the recent sealed order and the replacing of the dispensary districts in their former positions.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURMy attention has been drawn to the resolution referred to in the first paragraph. I have given this matter my own personal consideration, but see no sufficient reason to alter the decision which has already been arrived at after careful investigation by the Medical Inspector of the Local Government Board in respect to the re-arrangement of the dispensary districts. The Board do not consider that the re-arrangement of these districts will inflict any serious hardship on the sick poor; they believe, on the contrary, that the new arrangements will conduce to a better attendance on them.